Divergence Side Stories: Origins of Madness
by EliadS
Summary: The 1st of the "The Point of Divergence" Side Stories. Before he became the a traitor and enemy, Orochimaru was but an innocent boy. So how did the genius protoge of Sarutobi Hiruzen become the worst of traitors? Read these short glimpses and find out.R
1. Act 1: Death and Crimson Butterflies

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or gain or will gain any profit from using the franchise's chars, they belong to Masashi Kishimoto.**

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Italics – thoughts__**  
Bold Italics - Demons/Summons talking**_**  
Bold – Monster/Demonic influenced beings speaking**

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A/N:**_

1)

Here it is as stated, the first act in my side stories series on Orochimaru. This story itself will be known as **'Origins of Madness'** and will have several named acts, each depicting a crucial moment in the history of Konoha that affected and slowly corrupted the Snake Sannin, Orochimaru.

2)

This chapter of the Act begins between Chapter 8 and 9 of the main story - so refer to chapter 8 to understand the connector scene.

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Japanese terms and words glossary:**

**Ero** - Perverted**  
Baka** – Idiot/fool**  
Kirigakure** – Hidden Mist**  
Konohagakure** – Hidden Leaf  
**Sunagakure** - Hidden Sand  
**Iwagakure** - Hidden Rock**  
Hebi – **Snake**  
Chisokuhofuku **– Sneaking Speed**  
Kiri – **Mist**  
Youki – **Evil energy/Demonic Chakra**  
Bijuu **– Tailed Beasts**  
Ototou** – Brother (older brother referring to younger brother)**  
Nii-san** – Brother (younger brother referring to older brother)**  
Hebishokkou – **Snake Weaver**  
Mizu no Kuni – **Water Country**  
Akahebi no Akako – **Akako the 'Bloody Snake'**  
Shodaime - **The First **  
Nidaime - **The Second  
**Taki no Kuni** – Waterfall Country

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(One day after the destruction of Hidden Waterfall, Taki no Kuni)**

The evening sky was painted in shades of scarlet and gold as violent fires raged in their own private pieces of hell on earth. The skeleton of Komaki, the once rich capital of the Waterfall country was reduced in a wasteland of broken buildings, ashes and burned flesh.

The Daimyo was dead, the main garrison of the country's regular army was broken and their Hidden Village had fallen a night earlier in one coordinated attack that left their entire ninja population slaughtered.

With no survivors to speak of the horrors of these last two nights, civil war, bloodshed and panic would soon spread across the landscape. The vacuum of power was going to thrust the country and surrounding countries into chaos and pandemonium; it was only a manner of time.

In the midst of the eye of inferno rose what seemed to be the creature of myth, the eight headed snake 'Yamata no Orochi'. In reality it was but an emulated version of the calamity of legend. A technique created by the genius, or perhaps madness, of the infamous snake summoner, Orochimaru. He had dubbed it 'Yamata no Jutsu' and it was another effort to immortalize his name and power in the ninja world.

Eight monstrous snake heads flicked around, the wind crackling with every lightning fast motion of their powerful heads. Massive yellow eyes shifted as they sought prey, none would be spared. The creature's massive body was covered with pearly white scales; its back covered hardened spike like extensions. The reflective surface acting a canvas of the surrounding fire, reflecting off the surface in a memorizing pattern of scarlet, red and orange

The center most head opened its maws widely and regurgitated the upper body of a lithe and eerie looking man. The saliva and sticky goo-like substance covered the man's pale body as he smirked widely. Then a pair of violent yellow eyes opened widely and turned to the man's left, locking upon an approaching summoned creature.

_**"Orochimaru-sama…"**_ A massive violet viper bowed its head. The summoner's power always left the snake clan at awe as there had never had a human summoner that had equaled him. Amongst the serpents – the strongest of them all was never contested and always obeyed to the letter - Orochimaru was no exception. _**"All the humans not wearing your banner have been killed. Chisokuhofuku is on the her way to the destination, she will remain unseen and protect the cargo - as you instructed."**_

Orochimaru's lips twitched into a twisted smile. **"Excellent. You and the others may leave, my ninja will take care of the rest…" **The snake sannin commanded; his voice more hissing and raw than usual in his semi-bestial state.

He watched neutrally in his perpetual vision how several large clouds of white smoke clashed against the suffocating black fumes around him, signaling the retreat of his summoned snakes. The snake sannin shut his eyes and slowly the massive white hydra curled into itself, shrinking rapidly until only a small spiral of dried snake skin was left in the center of the massive crater.

A single arm pushed through the dry texture and tore an exit; Orochimaru stepping into the searing heat with his head held high. Raven black hair flicked in the wind as the man crossed his arms, his gaze set on the full moon as he inhaled the familiar scent of carnage that had been part of his life for over three decades.

His clothes were caked in crimson and sweat. The repulsive scent of cinder, ash and gore clung to his body, truly creating the visage of a demon of a man. He watched as his sound ninja that had previously lied in waiting burst into motion – obeying his command.

His eyes widened abruptly as he caught one color that stood out against the burning nightmare, the soft sound of butterfly wings filtering through his sharp ears. _"Has it really been that long? Since that day…when I was still a but deluded child…"_

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Origins of Madness - Act I:  
Death and Crimson butterflies**

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(38 years before the beginning of the Naruto series – The isle of Sarigeki, Water Country)**

The wind gently carried the salty air into his nostrils, the crispy purity invading his senses briefly like a fading candle in a sea of shadows. The young boy's face remained calm as sharp, calculating eyes glared into the distance; taking in the echoes of the finale of latest skirmish between Konohagakure and Kirigakure.

The settling sun's last rays bathed his serpentine, yellow eyes with fading gold. Flashes of death sneaked by his perpetual vision, the soft whispers of oblivion taunting him as he easily heard the hesitant steps of the man approaching behind him.

"Sensei…?" the soft, toneless murmur melted into the eerie silence; so tender and quiet that the approaching figure could have sworn it was but a figment his imagination.

The short Jounin walked up and stood beside his genius subordinate, eying the child that was clad in a white yukata that concealed protective mesh armor. The pale skinned young prodigy wore a pair of loose hakama pants hidden beneath the long white material, his long ebony hair dancing in the gentle sea air.

His dark eyes followed his pupil's gaze and his calm façade cracked just a fraction with regret, the sight before him not an easy one. "Orochimaru…I thought I'd find you here." Sarutobi Hiruzen, the man who would become the Third Hokage in several months, stated the obvious.

The young jounin's chilling eyes flicked towards his teacher for a brief moment. "How are Fufu and Jiraiya?" His soft spoken words trembled faintly, accompanied by the tightening of the skin around his eyes. The Hollow gleam they bore shifted with brief concern that seemed foreign to their eerie shape and color.

"Tsunade is upset but is to be expected; the news of Nidaime-sama's recent death hit her the hardest…" the 'Professor' mused wearily and gazed at the young man in front of him. Regret welled in the elite ninja's chest as it always did when he saw the unnatural maturity in said boy's eyes; the glaring results of his harsh training.

"Then you had better tell Jiraiya to keep his eye on her. It would be for the best if she did not witness the results of the final battle in her state…" he intoned, the snake ninja's voice was as always deceptively ambiguous.

With those words uttered the genius' lips pushed out a heavy sigh, the weariness of his spirit compounding upon his heart. There ahead of him lay the broken isle of ice, once pristine pure white – now a violated wasteland of gore.

The ice was fractured with small chunks of it floating in the distance. Furthermore, the crimson scars of conflict sank deep into the arctic formation, the surreal picture of a massive slab of blood glaring harshly against the bright colors around befitting the situation.

Orochimaru's fingers twitched, the sickening phantom feeling of the heat of blood burning across his cooled, pale skin would take a long time to suppress. The icy atmosphere only served to taunt the snake-like boy as nature tried to alleviate the horrors he had unleashed from him bodily with its arctic wiles.

The gods were pathetically inadequate in such a task, the overwhelming taste of blood, sweat and decay lodged in his throat. It clogged his lungs and nostrils – forever clinging to him like a cancer that could never be removed.

Worst were the memories and nightmares that plagued his sleep, visions full of eyes teeming with helplessness and accusation. The haunting gleam of brief emotion that burned brightly just before extinguished into a lifeless dullness in the likeness of a withering candle.

His sensei lingered about for only a few more moments, moving to squeeze his shoulder in a comforting manner. "Happy Twelfth birthday, Orochimaru." He whispered tenderly before the sound of female screaming and an explosion of splintering wood caught the older man's attention and he rushed off to divert Jiraiya's murder at Tsunade's hands.

_"Ero-baka…you really need to watch yourself more carefully. One of these days she might accidentally kill you for real…"_ the rookie Jounin thought bemusedly, his lips tugging into a small smile as he knelt down to his knees and crossed his hands together.

Orochimaru found it surreal that his sensei would remember such a meaningless notion such as his birthday in the aftermath of that horrible battle and the death of his beloved sensei. He smiled faintly as he uttered a soft whisper _"Mother, will you wait for me this time? Remember to smile for me, like you used to all those years ago?"_ he wondered as his eyes shut and he allowed the chilling wind to carry his mind away; back into the past he both cherished and cursed equally.

It had been many years since serenity was an emotion he could affiliate with his life. While it was true his life had never been perfect and his love for his village had never been as encompassing and overwhelming as his peers'; he still felt he was happy during his brief years of childhood.

Childhood was a term the snake ninja used very loosely, as thoughts of his hometown and his past always elicited mixed emotions within him. He could not imagine living anywhere else and yet the yellow-eyed youth couldn't resist the resentment he felt towards his countrymen, those bigots hiding behind their masks of altruism and self-righteousness.

Konoha was supposedly the beacon of humanity amongst the great five hidden villages; the moral compass that built its foundations on bonds, love and friendship. The only words that Orochimaru could associate with those that so heavily embraced those notions was: 'utter bullshit'.

Konoha was no different than its sister villages for at the end of the day a shinobi would forever remain a shinobi. All the altruistic word games and hollow reassurances were nothing more than a front to cover the ugliness of the way of the ninja.

How else could Orochimaru explain the hypocrisy that ran rampant through Konoha? They worshiped the ground Fufu walked on, her Senju blood giving her the 'spark' of greatness only rarely attainable by people of their age. Worst was that they could even accept the brash and reckless antics of his buffoon of a teammate, Jiraiya; most even bemused and enamored by his humorous misadventures and boisterous attitude.

Yet all these 'kindhearted' people seemed to lose their warmth and humanity whenever Orochimaru was in their presence. Warm words choked within their throats, kind eyes shifting to glacial orbs. They ignorantly thought the genius ninja could not hear their whispered curses, believed him oblivious to how they have dubbed his as the 'snake freak that never should've been born'.

Alas, the bliss of ignorance is a commodity the tormented boy had long since forgotten. With his sickly complexion and serpentine eyes he had always attracted negative attention and mistrust. In Konoha folk-lore the snake was always depicted as the symbol of the traitor, the epitome of conniving and scheming and therefore these stereotypes were all projected upon him as well.

With the prejudice compounding upon his infant mind his hometown was no source of solace or acceptance. Instead it is a sea of hostility and disillusioning rejection the boy had long since learned to accept begrudgingly - what other choice did he have?

The darkness of his youth however was bearable and even salvageable enough to be called happy due mostly to the love of his beloved mother. Orochimaru readily admitted she wasn't the solitary source of solace now that he had his teammates and sensei but amongst them all she stood prevalent._ "Would you wrap your arms around me, mother? Tell me it will be alright like you used to?"_ he begged to the empty skies and bit down on his lips.

His shoulders shook violently, his head bowed low. Long strands of hair tickled his pale skin before he hissed out miserable choking sound and drove his hands into the ice crusted soil, fisting it desperately. He felt the searing heat of a tear threatening to fall from his right eye and shut his eyes tightly as he recalled the last couple of years.

It was disheartening to realize that all the love and tenderness had gradually been drained from his house, leaving a haunting void where warmth once existed. His father was not a figure Orochimaru liked to waste his breath upon, the former ninja always was cold and critical with the snake boy. But his mother...was it is possible that his precious mother was turning upon him as well?

It all began when he was six years old and he was chosen to be on a genin team under the tutelage of Sarutobi Hiruzen, the prodigal student of Nidaime Hokage. That's when he noticed the changes in her expression and tone every time he told her about his exploits and misadventures on those rare times he was allowed to return home through his training schedule.

It often irked the snake child that for some odd reason he was forced to undertake far more hours of training than his peers while they were given far more hours with their friends and family. But he rationalized it was just a sign his skill was acknowledged so he accepted it begrudgingly.

It seemed that his mother gradually began seeing him in a new light. The affection and livelihood slowly became a mask she wore in his presence alone that was quickly replaced by a perpetually vacant gaze full of remorse, guilt and resentment whenever she thought he wasn't looking.

The increasingly distant boy had not cried for almost six years, ever since his first kill where Sarutobi took him aside and drilled him harshly on killing his heart – as all shinobi must. But whenever she would whisper his name in that soft, tremulous tone full of warmth even the jaded genius' eyes would unconsciously itch and sting through her tender hugs.

Now she could barely look at him for more than a passing glance. Whenever Orochimaru asked her what he had done her eyes would burn with intensity and she would storm out of the room; the sounds of sobbing tearing into the boy's chest more painfully than any blade could.

The snake Jounin was considered sharp and insightful in all aspects of the shinobi but could not discern what the source of his mother's pain was no matter how hard he tried; much to his own disappointment and chagrin. He shook his head and opened his eyes cautiously, feeling something light tickle his palm. _"Impossible…to think a snow angel would survive through the carnage…"_ the snake ninja marveled the irony as he lifted his hand tentatively.

His mother used to tell him stories about the rare breed of insect. As a child she had always wanted one as they were rumored to be the harbingers of good tidings and symbols of innocence, purity and unconditional love. Orochimaru put little stock in such folklore but he was sure his mother would appreciate the gesture and the notions and love that were hidden behind it.

_"Mother…maybe this will finally make you a little bit happier…"_ He was about to capture the butterfly in his hand, carefully lifting it while moving his other hand but to his displeasure it suddenly took off.

The young boy frowned and slowly and cautiously started following it. He was certain his mother would appreciate the gesture far more if managed to capture it alive and seal it into a scroll or put it in a jar than a crushed butterfly that would probably just make her sadder and more disappointed in him.

As the snake Jounin embarked upon his private task his teammate Jiraiya was dodging a hail of shuriken courtesy of the ever temperamental and fiery Tsunade. "Come back here, Snowflake! Come back here so I can kill you!" Her voice screeched and the young boy gulped fearfully as he quickly sought cover behind a nearby tree.

"Damn it, will you calm down, flat-chest? I was just trying to console you! What the fuck's your problem?" He shouted his reply just as heatedly. The white haired young boy then uttered a soft curse as he felt a massive killer intent explode from the general direction of the camp and quickly bolted for safety.

"You're my problem, you damned pervert!" her voice exploded angrily, her brown eyes moist. She knew he likely was telling the truth but she was just so angry right now and he was a perfect target to project all her frustration on.

The compounded weight of losing her beloved uncle, killing so many Kiri-nin and then having to work on the wounded and dying Konoha ninja were too much for her to deal with calmly - she never was able to 'kill' her heart.

Tsunade wasn't good with talking about her feelings and she much preferred venting through acts of massive, collateral damage and hence her teammate that was quite aware of that fact was fleeing for his life.

Jiraiya's bare feet felt a tremor run through the earth and he knew that meant only one thing. "Shit. I swear I didn't mean to touch your breasts, Tsunade! I was just hugging you from behind and it was an accident. Why are you so touchy about it anyway? It's not like you have anything to cop in the first place?" He accused with a secret grin as he leaped away from a fissure Tsunade's fist created, ticking the seconds off in his mind before he heard her frustrated growl and felt her hand around his neck.

She was about to punch the daylights out of him when his savior arrived as always. "What is the meaning of this?" Their sensei's tone hissed out impatiently, the bearded legend's dark eyes narrowed and accusing. Despite Hiruzen's smaller frame and slightly nimble build he was still very intimidating and Tsunade ceased her murderous intentions abruptly.

Jiraiya snickered as Sarutobi verbally lashed Tsunade for creating such a scene when she knows how low morale is amongst the ninjas at the camp - it was unbecoming of someone of her stature. Tsunade didn't even have the decency to look ashamed as she leveled a tearful glare at sensei and stormed off after simply stating 'she didn't give a flying fuck'.

"Jiraiya! Wipe that smug smile off your face!" The white haired boy scowled at that and the way Sarutobi leveled an exasperated glare at him. "Go get Orochimaru so you two can get packed. We leave in thirty minutes and for the love of Kami; don't get into anymore trouble today!"

The loud-mouthed young rookie jounin snorted at his sensei's back, rolling his eyes at the old man's stiff and dreary disposition _"You need to lighten up, sensei! All that brooding and following the rules to the letter are going to give you an ulcer one day…" _He thought and a slight smirk touched his lips.

Jiraiya was not one to brood over things as his two teammates if he could avoid it. He could understand relate to Tsunade's extremely emotional outburst as he too indulged in explosive reactions himself. The Senju princess was well known to have difficulties in silencing her emotions and her extrovert approach to life was simply another defense mechanism to protect her mind and heart from the harshness of the shinobi way.

The irony of her situation as an aspiring medic-nin was that she was forced by her prestigious pedigree and talent to go against her heart. Always thrust head first into the front lines, foregoing the healing the wounded and bring down the crimson rain of broken bodies of the enemy.

He sighed heavily as he dragged his feet across the icy earth. On the other hand, his other teammate Orochimaru was one of the most serious, introvert and detached people he had ever seen in his life. The young prodigy always carried a sad, resigned gleam in his eyes, as if an impossible burden was attached to his little shoulders.

Also, unlike Jiraiya and Tsunade his outlook on life was quite a bit darker and he made it his point to attempt and educate the two in the 'truths' of the ninja world. Tsunade seemed to pity him and often disregarded his depressed sounding narrative calmly and quietly, never agreeing or disagreeing with him directly.

Jiraiya on the other hand was appalled by how emo the serpentine kid acted and therefore sought as a side-mission in his life, besides protecting Konoha and slaking his perverted curiosity by shameless flirting and peeping of course, to make the dreary and sad looking boy grow some emotional backbone.

The peeping tom extraordinaire had yet to bring his depressing teammate into the light, but he would one day, he was the great Jiraiya-sama after all! There was only one methodology that would shake the gloom out of snake-face: taunting and teasing the shy and silent boy to until he lost his cool.

Jiraiya blinked owlishly when he finally tracked down his elusive teammate. The snake jounin was currently stalking in almost serpentine manner after something. It was quite a spectacle to see Orochimaru's sharp, eerily yellow eyes flickering from side to side carefully, both narrowed in concentration with slender brows furrowed above them.

"Oi, Snake-face! What're you up to?" Jiraiya called out loudly and watched his teammate cringe at his audible tone.

Before Jiraiya could talk any further Orochimaru lifted a silencing hand and shifted an icy glare in his direction "Shut up, Ero-Baka! You'll scare it away!"

_"Damnit Jiraiya, get the hell away, I'm SO close!"_ The pale-faced boy pleaded inwardly, hoping his dark and intimidating look would deter his teammate from approaching any further. However, the way Jiraiya's brown eyes narrowed suspiciously and his snort of dismissal that melted into a wide and mischievous grin were proof to only one fact – there was no way in hell Orochimaru would be able to get rid of him now.

"I get it, looking for that special she-snake, Hebi-teme?" Jiraiya mused in a very low and 'knowing' manner, his teeth bared due to how wide his wolfish grin had become. The future toad sannin's shoulders shook and he snorted through several contained laughs at how Orochimaru's face fell into a flat expression; the solemn genius obvious attempts at screening out his words out quite amusing.

_"Hook…"_ Jiraiya thought and winked in a conspiring manner. _"Line…"_ The perverted ninja put a hand across his face as if he was revealing a secret and murmured quietly. "I always suspected you played for the other team, but to know you've got a league of your own is something completely unexpected!"

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed further, dangerous impatience pulsing in his yellow irises as he felt as if his teeth would shatter from how tightly they were grit. Jiraiya's face exploded with taunting glee _"Sinker!"_ he thought as he lifted his finger in a lecturing manner. "Don't worry though, Oro-teme! I'm sure flat-chest and sensei will be opened minded about your secret desires!"

"Ero-baka! I'm trying to catch a butterfly! Not molest a snake. I don't dabble in your bizarre fantasies and fetishes, you perverted loser!" Orochimaru's hissing voice was a bit unsettling as it came out in more of a serpentine manner than Jiraiya felt comfortable with. However, he wasn't one to be cowed by one of his friends getting upset – making them like that was his specialty after all.

"Hoo Hoo Hoo! Did I touch a sensitive subject, Oro-kun?" Jiraiya asked in a mock sultry voice and clutched his hands together, batting his eyes at Orochimaru as peals of laughter escaped his chest in rumbling waves of boisterous decibels.

Orochimaru rolled his eyes at Jiraiya and shook his head several times while exhaling and inhaling heavily to contain his ire. As he was calming himself down he heard the flap of the butterfly's wings and his hand whipped sideways and captured the snow white butterfly gently. "If you have to know…I'm trying to bring this as a gift to mother…so she'll be happy, again, Jiraiya…" Orochimaru murmured softly as he carefully cradled the fluttering insect.

The sad look in his eyes made his white haired teammate halt his verbal lashing and rub the back of his head awkwardly as he looked away guiltily; a bit remorseful for upsetting the older boy. It was utterly depressing to see how Orochimaru tried so hard to make his parents, his mother especially, smile and be happy only to have his efforts backfire so horribly time and time again.

The crushing look of bitter disappointment the serpentine boy hid so carefully from the world was invisible to all; all but team Sarutobi whom were like a small surrogate family after being baptized in blood and battle for the last six years.

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry already! Geez! You people can't take a little joking around! Flat-chest goes postal and you go all 'gloom and doom' on me every time I open my mouth! How's a guy supposed to humor himself with you people?!" Jiraiya mused and waved his hand dismissively as they walked back towards camp.

Orochimaru smiled softly at his teammate's one-sided rant and shook his head bemusedly, carefully cradling the butterfly in his hands – hope filling his young heart once more; the hope for happiness in his mother's eyes.

Hiruzen watched his two pupils from a vantage pointed upon a tree, his arms crossed and eyes flickering with solemn apprehension. _"Orochimaru…I will protect you, my precious student. I won't let Hashirama-sama's prophecy become reality; I won't let you fade into the darkness…"_ He thought as he recalled the last conversation he had with the deceased legend only two weeks before he died repelling a joint attack by Iwagakure and Sunagakure.

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(Six Years Earlier - Flashback Begin)**_**  
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**Sarutobi Hiruzen was patiently waiting outside the Hokage office alongside his rival – political and otherwise, Tetsuyo Danzou. The two men were opposed on nearly every level and both had the ear of the Hokage, though Sarutobi's influence was greater as the legendary ninja's pupil.

Danzou was clad in a modified ANBU armor that was a symbol of his status as ANBU's supreme commander. The suit was a reinforced mix of mesh and leather material of midnight black with chakra conductive shoulder, arm and shin guards. The man's entire body was concealed except his face, now visible due to the fact the man's porcelain owl mask was held within his left hand.

Sarutobi was the complete contrast, where Danzou embodied the path of the assassin and shadow, Sarutobi reflected the way of the warrior and commander. The future Hokage was clad in casual gray yukata and matching hakama pants. Sarutobi was the epitome of calm and serenity in contrast with Danzou's contained violence ready to be unleashed.

The two powerful ninja were both waiting for the two founders of Konoha the Senju brothers to finish a private discussion, each having an appointment with Nidaime. Sarutobi was there to get the files and background material on his future genin team whereas Danzou was there to hand in his monthly report on the mission Nidaime had tasked him six years ago.

It was rather laughable that they waited outside with how skilled both S-Rank ninjas were, the pair easily able to hear every harsh word exchanged - though they respected their leaders enough to abide the codes of conduct in this manner.

Senju Hashirama, the former Shodaime Hokage was seated heavily in a chair in front of the Hokage desk. The man's once impressive and powerful aura had faded into a pale and sickly pallor. His formally rich raven hair was now graying – it was obvious the strongest ninja seen in generations was on the last legs of his life.

The man was clad in a loose, white kimono with a rich and impressive depiction of tree branches and leaves twisting and turning while being surrounded by flames. Where he was once lithe and muscular, his body the epitome of deadly grace, he was now skinny and feeble with the illness that had eaten him away in the last decade; ever since his battle with Uchiha Madara.

Ahead of him sat his young brother and successor to the kage seat, Senju Tobirama. His brother had long since abandoned his blue battle armor and was now clad in the traditional Hokage robes. His body tense as he watched in concern as his brother faded in front of his eyes, breath by breathe.

Tobirama was not as charismatic or powerful as his brother; he was the scholastic and wiser of the pair, though he was still considered superior in terms of skill and power than any other ninja that walked the continent.

Tobirama had always been in the supportive role as his real talent was working behind the scenes. It was he that arranged the meetings, prepared the battle plans and wrote up alliance contracts and prepared the infrastructure of Konoha. Hashirama was the born leader and diplomat that swept people with his words, cowed the clans with his sheer power and presence and even managed to break down the Uchiha and bring them into their fold; something the two brothers had never quite agreed on fully in terms of wisdom and necessity.

He was never meant to take the mantle; it was supposed to be Hiruzen's legacy since the boy was eight years, to succeed Hashirama when the time was right. Alas, after only several years as Hokage Hashirama had willingly vacated the Hokage chair two years after that legendary duel with Madara.

The Shodaime felt with his health declining due to the residue of Kyuubi Youki that had polluted his blood stream he was no longer fit to lead. It was fortunate that he lived to that day as a lesser man would've died within the year. Hashirama had lived over a decade, watching his younger brother lead for ten glorious years, and that could only be credited to his genetic suppressing abilities that held back the taint of the strongest of the Bijuu.

Reddish brown eyes narrowed as his brother opened the discussion _"Not this again…" _the prodigal water wielder thought with a sigh and held back the urge to groan and grasp his aching temples. _"Brother…must you keep on bringing up this subject over and over again?"_

"Ototo, I have been following the mental growth of our little experiment and I cannot with clear conscious sanction this any longer. You must take action and stop this boy from declining into madness," Hashirama pleaded before his younger sibling, his eyes flickering with insistence.

"We've been through this before, Nii-san. We both made the decision to abduct the only documented male heir to the Hebishokkou clan to secure Konoha's future power. We cannot falter and hesitate – you know the price of such actions in the Shinobi world better than anyone…" The silver haired Hokage murmured softly.

Hashirama's eyes flickered with emotion as he bowed his head, "We stole a child, Ototo. We are molding him from birth to become a weapon. The Hebishokkou were always a wild and mercurial breed, I fear we are pushing the boy too hard and when he snaps he will become a menace that will make us pay a bloody penance for our sins…"

The Nidaime Hokage decided it was time to lay it thick on his brother, it would not do good for the dying man to live his last days in regret. "You were the one that made the pact with the Uchiha Madara. You trusted him too much and look what has happened to you. The repercussions of THAT mistake will haunt us, not this one. Hiruzen is powerful, wise and responsible, he can take care of the boy should the need arise though I doubt he will fail in raising him right."

"I do not share your optimism, Ototo. Hiruzen's skill and prowess does not sanction forcing the village to create another monster of a man, a human weapon that is an echo of those dark days. Do you truly believe the boy, a child as gifted and cunning as Orochimaru, does not notice he's being pushed harder, being treated differently and being taught different morals than his peers in the academy? He will grow resentful and bitter and he WILL turn against Konohagakure"

"Nii-san, how exactly is his situation different than our own childhood? We were bred and born for battle since our first steps, were we not? Our parents raised us because we were strong. It was a harsh and painful life, but necessary for the good of our clan, family…was it not?" Tobirama tried to make his brother see. "We're monsters too, as far as Shinobi go…"

"It goes against our moral code of conduct! We are the ones that put a stop to the age of chaos and madness. How can we claim to be the moral pillar of our village while we sanction these actions! What did we sacrifice everything for? What was the point of all the bloodshed and death?" Hashirama hissed angrily, his eyes watering slightly as years of guilt, pain and nightmares resurfaced; all the doubts he only confided in with Tobirama proving they were still strong.

"Don't you dare lecture me about sacrifice! You may have founded the alliance and this village but every one of its members sacrificed blood and kin to see it stand!" Tobirama replied just as heatedly and then exhaled through grit teeth and shut his eyes.

"You're an idealist, Nii-san, and I admire that. But you've never been pragmatic; that was always my job, was it not? We've always balanced each other – caution for enthusiasm, passion for logic – we are a team; we've always been a team, Nii-san. Do not allow that to change near the end over one decision we made a half a decade ago."

Hashirama sighed and held his face in his hand, nodding wearily. "You are Hokage now, Tobi-kun. I have never; will never pull rank over you. I trust you and your judgment; I only ask that you try to think with your heart as much as your mind from time to time – my time is nearing its end after all…" Hashirama mulled over somberly.

The younger Senju's eyes shut and he nodded before turning his eyes towards the door. "The two you can come in, you've been listening long enough as you might as well join the conversation." The sharpness of his tone was accompanied by killer intent that only faded away as he watched Hashirama's chuckle turn into a coughing fit.

Sarutobi and Danzou entered the room in solemn silence, eying the two legendary brothers with a myriad of emotions passing through them. Sarutobi's heart ached with the silent pain of the soon-to-come death of his idol and mentor; the man that had been a surrogate uncle to him aside his sensei, Tobirama. He would miss him dearly and knew it was his job to keep the tree of Konoha standing strong but at the same time pure and solid in its ideals and morals, the way he knew Hashirama would want him to.

Danzou mourned the soon-to-come passing of the greatest ninja to ever live, the man that could single-handedly rein Bijuu and crush armies. Danzou had nothing but respect for Senju Hashirama and his brother Tobirama and would do all in his power to keep their legacy, their village, alive.

"Saru, I need you to keep an eye on the boy..." Tobirama started instinctively before wincing. "On _Orochimaru_ and report his progress to me. Also, keep an eye on my niece and Jiraiya-kun. The three are the future of our village, but you know those two they are incredibly reckless and hot headed and need your patience to mold them into proper adults and ninja," Tobirama mused solemnly and turned his eyes to Danzou.

"Danzou, if I understand your reports correctly, Hitomi-san is adamant about telling the boy the truth?" the legendary ninja asked in a cold and inquisitive manner as he passed the report for his brother to examine.

The leader of Black Ops nodded. "Hitomi and Daichi can no longer keep the façade up it would seem with the repercussions of Hitomi's entire family being murdered by Akahebi no Akako. According to surveillance footage and transcripts they plan on telling the boy on the nearest occasion and ask him to leave the house, indefinitely…"

Hiruzen's eyes widened in shock and concern "Orochimaru…" he uttered under his breath. The boy adored his mother, always mentioning her as his constant and light in the world, if she broke these anchors – the boy would fracture irreparably; of that Sarutobi had no doubt.

The Senju brothers locked a heated glance for a few brief moments and in the end Hashirama nodded begrudgingly and turned his head away. Tobirama's face turned to a grim and resigned expression and he shut his eyes and uttered his pupil's name in a questioning manner "Saru…?"

Hiruzen was silent for a long moment, stroking his bread and glaring at the floor and weighing what he felt must be done and what he knew must be done. The future Hokage was beginning to understand the burdens of his future office; the conversation he heard and this development a thick hint to the hardships he would face.

"Do what must be done…"

**(Flashback End)**

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Team Hiruzen and the rest of the Konoha strike force solemnly returned to their hometown, each ninja wanting to quickly go and pay respect to one of founding Fathers, the great Senju Tobirama and pray to his older brother, Hashirama, while they were at it. Each would choose their own way and time to perform the task, but it was a given all Konoha ninja would pay their respect to their fallen legends.

Tsunade rushed to her parents the moment she reached the gates, being embraced warmly in a gesture full of woe, love and reassurance. The blonde teen cried along with the small remnants of original family that created the Senju alliance. They all shared tears and heartfelt words spoken in hushed, intimate tones as they mourned the man, uncle and grand-uncle that was Senju Tobirama and not the Hokage – the village would mourn him enough as it is.

Jiraiya rushed off the moment they passed through the massive wood and steel gate. He immediately glomped his father, laughing as the man twirling him around as his mother watched the the two men from the side with a wide, gentle smile. The tall man with silvery hair grinned at his son and ruffled is hair before picking him up on his shoulders and carrying the protesting and laughing young boy away.

Hiruzen sighed as he looked back at Orochimaru. His 'parents' had been cowed by Danzou's threats of bodily and financial harm and the situation in the house remained tense and stable. The monkey summoner was forced to work Orochimaru to the bone not only to make him a weapon as he was ordered, but to shield the boy from the hostility teeming and ready to burst waiting for him at home.

He was about to call out for Orochimaru but he knew the child would not move. It saddened the soon-to-be appointed Sandaime to watch him remain waiting by the gate, but what could he do? He sighed and slowly walked away _"Orochimaru...somehow, someday I'll make this right...just watch."  
_  
Meanwhile, Orochimaru's sharp eyes flickered through the dwindling crowds in anticipation. He was sure his mother would come this time as it was his first time going out to war, perhaps a contained skirmish was more fitting the situation, though the meaning and dangers were the same.

_"Mother…" _he thought wistfully as time ticked by and his heart grew heavy. Yellow eyes shut tightly as he clung to some deluded hope his parents would come for him as he sat down next to a tree and waited. He clutched the glass jar with the white butterfly against his chest.

Time passed and nobody came for him, the solitary boy keeping the the chuunin guards company. The two young teens eyed him with a mixture of pity, begrudging acceptance and apprehension. It was better than outright disgust and dislike so it didn't bother Orochimaru too much.

Through all those hours he waited the snake boy's eyes remained fixed forward desperately. Finally, when the sun started setting, his shoulders shook briefly before he sniffed and got up. "Maybe mom's sick or out of the village buying supplies…" he murmured to himself, convincing himself there had to be justification of the abandonment as he walked the silent streets.

As he reached the small, humble apartment his family shared he halted his stride. His eyes flicked to his left over his shoulder, catching the blur of motion. _"ANBU…is it? I would've hoped my protective surveillance would have become redundant given what I accomplished out there…"_ The snake prodigy shut his eyes and moved to turn the knob of the door only to find it was already open.

_"Odd…Mother never leaves the door unlocked…"_ he thought before the bitter, coppery scent he would never forget filled his nostrils _"Blood…?"_

The snake child's hands started trembling; a knot in his chest tightening as breathing became difficult. Orochimaru couldn't move, couldn't think or breathe as paranoid thoughts filled his mind. He shut his eyes and shook his head violently to clear his thoughts. _"No! It can't be…I won't believe it!"_

The serpentine ninja thus decided to investigate and bolted hurried through the house. He ripped his parent's bedroom door open and the world paused, all sound fading away but the beats of his racing heartbeat. Yellow eyes widened and his lips trembled, searing heat stinging at his cheeks. He gazed at his precious mother and her husband, both dead and emotion welled within him with increasing intensity.

_"Akahebi no Akako…that is her signature assassination method…"_ his mind supplied the information he had memorized from the bingo book. Both of them lying with their eyes open widely and glaring into space. A pair of puncture wounds pierced each of their jugulars while their skin was pale and pasty like. Worst of all was the sickly yellowish color their complexion took that contrasted harshly with the black color of their visibly protruding veins; tainted by what was obviously the effect of a very powerful toxin.

"MOTHER!" he screamed at the top of his lungs as his fingers clenched involuntarily and the jar in his hands shattered. Shards of glass exploded in his grip, piercing his hands in a bloody display. However, for Orochimaru the physical pain did not register as he barely registered the sound of his own voice ringing in a high pitched, wild scream.

He was so overwhelmed by oppressive, suffocating emotions as tears slid down his cheeks that he ignored the sound of rushing footsteps. He battled and batted off the hands grabbing at him and trying to pull him away from the bedside and screened out the desperate voices calling his name. He didn't let them heal his hands, nor did he calm down as his voice hoarsely struggled to form words. However words could not be uttered through the clenching spasms and erratic breaths.

At his feet amongst the shattered glass lay a twitching and struggling butterfly – once pristine and pure – now tainted and bloody. The sound of its gradually approaching death was ignored by the chaos of the room; crimson stained wings slowly came to halt. Orochimaru's blood-soaked innocence was put to rest by that sordid vision of death; the first seeds of darkness carried on the faltering wings of the crimson butterfly.

This would be but the first of such traumatic moments – the emotional and mental scars that would forever be the origins of madness.

**

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Jutsu List: **

**Yamata no Jutsu - Eight Branches Technique – **The technique is one of the secret Kinjutsu of the snake sannin Orochimaru. It is a byproduct of the many experimentations and mutations wrought upon his body. It allows him to change his body into the form of a massive eight headed snake. Furthermore, the snake sannin can use jutsu and Kusanagi by forming his upper torso from any of the eight mouths.


	2. Act 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or gain or will gain any profit from using the franchise's chars, they belong to Masashi Kishimoto.**

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Italics – thoughts__**  
Bold Italics - Demons/Summons talking**_**  
Bold – Monster/Demonic influenced beings speaking**_**  
**__**Bold Italics Underline – Monsters/Summons thinking**_

**

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Japanese terms and words glossary:**

**Baka** – Idiot/fool**  
Ningen – **human**  
Konohagakure** – Hidden Leaf**  
Hime - **princess**  
Hebi – **Snake**  
Hebishokkou – **Snake Weaver**  
Akahebi no Akako – **Akako the 'Bloody Snake'**  
Jutsu - **Technique**  
Keitaro – **Blessed, Sacred**  
Heika – **Your Majesty (Term used for reigning royalty, purposefully used in this case despite the snake queen's demotion from office).**  
Kurogetsuei - **Darkmoon**  
Sanseishuku Shibousha** - Three Whispering Deaths**  
Seishou no Fo-ji** – Forge of Spirits

**

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(Four days prior to Chapter 9, Deep within the Hokage Mountain, Fire Country)**

It was cold, that was the paramount thought in Anko's mind as she stood in the center of the massive cave. The hollow crevice was hidden behind one of Konoha's waterfalls and was one of the secret sites Senju Hashirama and his brother Tobirama had created in the months preceding the founding of Konohagakure.

The edifice rose dozens of feet into womb of the earth, supported by massive pillars of stone covered with intricate seal work. The aging chakra enforced symbols served to strengthen the massive stone formations that supported the weight of the mountain, giving Mother Nature a little hand in her task.

Around Anko stood four pillars carved into the shape of the four mythical guardians, the impressive statue-like so masterfully sculpted they were seemingly alive. Each of these silent sentinels pulsed with massive amounts of life force, the residue of the many rituals that took place in the cave that was also known as the 'Seishou no Fo-Ji'.

The four guardians were Genbu the Black tortoise, Byakko the White Tiger, Suzaku the Red Phoenix and Seiryu the Azure Dragon and each of their eyes fit their colors with special and long since forgotten chakra conductive alloy colored per guardian's namesake color. Each pair acted as a conduit and amplifier to whatever chakra was sent through the statues, easing the intricate techniques required for the arcane rituals.

In the square area between the four a massive sealing circle was carved into the granite, intermingling esoteric symbols crisscrossing in a most complex and powerful pattern. Seven lines of seals all ran from seven points on the radius of the sealing circles, reaching the center of the circle where another circle of seals was carved around a small stone plaque with a hand imprint.

It was here that Senju Hashirama and his army had systematically entombed, bound or banished all the supernatural creatures that once plagued the war torn wastelands from which Hashirama later erected the great forests. They created this site with one thought in mind, purging the taint from the land caused by the times of chaos so that their new home would be hospitable. Now the ancient site would be reawaken once more, in hopes of binding the snake clan into servitude or at least one of its factions.

Anko stood in the center of said construct, just a step or two outside the inner circle. Her dark eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she gazed at the hand imprint carved into the ground, caked with traces of ancient blood stains that were the only evidence of the ancient rituals once performed there.

She was clad in clothing that was completely foreign to her, a loose and flimsy violet Kimono that barely hung onto her slender curves. Its length also barely protecting her modesty as it just nearly reached her thighs. The snake kunoichi was nude beneath the light material, her chest, back and shoulders having been painted meticulously with intricate seals that were meant to resonate with the sealing construct. Just because the ritual required her to participate naked didn't mean she had to supply the rest of the people along with her with a free peep show if she could help it and so the kunoichi that was already nervous from the ritual proper had the compounded nervousness of being gawked and ogled by all the men in the room.

There were ten people with Anko in the giant cavern. One of them was the Sandaime Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen. Hiruzen was there to oversee the proceedings and intervene if something went wrong.

Another individual was Morino Ibiki, who was tasked with the duty of determining the summoning creature's intents if possible as well as gauging Anko during the process to see if she could somehow pose a risk to Konoha's security. He was there as a precautionary step requested by Sarutobi's two advisors as Ibiki was renown as nearly obsessively devoted to Konohagkure's safety and would safe guard it at any cost, even condemning his precious people.

The remaining eight were all high-level ANBU which were amongst those most loyal to Sarutobi. Four had enough chakra reserves to maintain the barrier required to entrap both summoner and summoned creature within the sealed circle and the remaining four were medical ninja that were on site in case something went wrong. Four stood beside the pillars, one ANBU for every guardian statue while the other four stood behind Ibiki and Hiruzen, on standby.

"Begin…" Sarutobi commanded and the four ANBU beside the statues all started making identical hand seals. Each of the silent sentinels had been taught the ancient seal sequence for the ritual by the Hokage himself earlier that day and had been sworn to secrecy on penalty of death, seeking to minimize the chance the forbidden arts would be put into play unsupervised.

"Kinjutsu: Aigoukabe no Munashii!" They all shouted in unison, each pressing their palms against one of the statues, thrusting their chakra into the age old relics. Each of the guardian's eyes burst into bright fire fitting their own color, a square barrier shimmering to life in an eerie display of godless, putrid ebony energy that seemed to swallow all light, life and heat from the air.

Sarutobi and Ibiki were forced to squint as powerful torrents of wind exploded outwards. Ominous whooshing and wailing-like sounds echoed through the empty cavern, giving the impression a slice of the nether had been invoked upon the corporeal realm. Ibiki's skin crawled, the tainted barrier's feel nauseating as he watched with slight trepidation as Anko shrugged off her attire; him only able to see her blurry outline as the cloth fell to her ankles.

Anko bit her thumb and swabbed it over her palm before making some quick and concise hand seals that had become a second nature to her after all these years. _"Here goes nothing…"_ the violet haired kunoichi thought as she bit her lower lip and shut her eyes. She then slammed her blood stained hand against the hand imprint and uttered a soft prayer. _"Ninpo Kushiyose: Dokuekiouhi!"_

She grit her teeth tightly as she the ground around her trembled violently, seal constructs around her igniting with angry blue and white. Swirling energy pulsed around her and the seals painted on her skin exploded into blue, red and green. Her skin burned under the intense chakra but she forced herself to contain her pain.

However quickly Anko found herself swooning slightly from exhaustion and discovered she was unable to remove her hand as an unseen forced ensnared it and kept it in place. She felt as if invisible mouths were biting and sucking down on her skin, her body's physical strength and life force being sucked dry by tongues of electric chakra that rose from the outer circle and wrapped around her.

"Shit…" Anko hissed out in a heavy pant as her limbs got heavy, eyelids fluttering as she neared unconsciousness. Before the draining sensation consumed her wholly she bit down against the small black pill she had hidden beneath her tongue, the bitter peppermint taste invading her taste buds. The soldier pill breathed new life into the flailing Kunoichi's body, the manufactured chakra giving her that extra dose she needed to brave the ravenous ritual that ended abruptly.

She panted wearily, her pale skin glistening with sweat and searing skin soothed by the cool stone around her. However the silence was only the one before the storm as a massive shockwave erupted from the center of the seal construct and knocked her unto her back. With the explosion washing over her another danger made itself known - one far more dangerous than a chakra consuming ritual.

Anko could barely budge, her body spent and chest rising and falling rapidly with her desperate hunger for air. But, being a kunoichi she recognized the danger she was in and rolled unto her side just barely, bleary eyes gazing forward into a cloud of white smoke just as an insanely powerful killer intent washed over the entire cavern.

_**"Orochimaru! How dare you summon me? And into a sealing circle no less! I'll devour you for this, you treacherous worm!"**_ An audible female hiss erupted from within the veil of white, only two massive violet eyes visible; and that too only possible as they were glowing angrily with murderous chakra. They were narrowed down at the snake summoner with burning hatred and hunger - bearing one message - 'you're mine'.

In the center of those violet slits were two massive orbs of reflective g old with slit pupils. Those horrible eyes tore into Anko's soul, stripping her spirit, emotions and body naked before their ageless glare. The former apprentice of Orochimaru forced herself to leap sideways as they suddenly approached with alarming speed, pushing the smoke away to reveal a massive serpentine head. The sound of broken, cracking stone wove the tale of what would have been her demise had she not moved.

The snake mistress rolled awkwardly into a kneeling position and gazed upwards upon the massive girth of the largest serpent she had ever seen. The massive snake was covered in a stunning array of golden scales with rings of ebony scales breaking the pattern every couple of meters. The venom queen was slightly larger and far more impressive than the current snake boss, Manda, and her presence and power dwarfed said summon's by far.

The Serpent Queen hissed angrily and was about to press forward before she paused her attack when she noticed the pathetic creature gazing upon her with such shock, awe and fear could not be the one the chosen one; the first and last male wielder of the Hebishokkou affinity to her clan. Gigantic eyes narrowed confusedly as her massive split tongue darted into the air, taking in her scent and pheromones. This one carried the tainted feel and scent of the snake lord upon her person and there was more to her the summoned snake could not discern. _**"Curious…what have you been up to while I was entombed, Orochimaru…?"**_

_**"How dare you summon me, ningen? I don't know what Orochimaru was thinking, letting you sign MY contract, but I only allow one summoner. And YOU are not the one that passed my trial" **_The venom queen demanded and curled her massive body around Anko, sizing the violet haired woman in a piercing manner, weighting the pros and cons of devouring her now or later.

Anko's gathered her bravado and courage and opened her mouth. "Orochimaru has betrayed me as well, Heika. I summoned you because I want to make the blood pact with you and those loyal to you. Together I want us to hunt down and kill that fucking pale-faced bastard!" the purple haired kunoichi boldly exclaimed.

The former snake boss tilted her head and seemed to sneer, if a snake could hold such an expression. _**"You miserable ningen, you actually think you'll ever be able to match him? The one we call 'Keitaro'?" **_she scoffed openly and laughed, her massive head rearing backwards.

"Oi! I may not be a match for him now, but I can grow strong enough to hold him at bay with your help. And while I'm distracting him I can summon you to deal with your son, Manda. Can't I? Isn't that what you want, Heika? Revenge for your humiliating defeat…" Anko mused smoothly and grinned toothily, quirking her brow at the massive snake queen.

_**"I don't have a choice but to go along with this weakling's bargain for now. I'll take any chance at exacting my revenge, my traitorous offspring. Even allying with someone unworthy of my power…"**_ the snake queen thought and with a resigned sigh opened her massive mouth and bowed close to Anko. _**"Let us see how strong your resolve is, ningen .None of your kind besides Hebishokkou Miko has ever underwent the transformation and survived…"**_

_**"Very well…Drink the venom from the tip of my fang and we shall see if you're worthy of my power, pathetic mammal…"**_ Ibiki and the others, san Hiruzen, then watched in silent trepidation as Anko obliged and suckled very carefully on the razor sharp tip of the summoned snake's tooth. Then they all witnessed something that even unnerved even the likes of ninjas of their considerable experience.

Anko's eyes snapped open and she choked, hacking coughs bursting from her mouth. She heaved and gagged, vomiting blood over and over while trembling on her knees. Her heartbeat was racing, pounding through her ears as she clutched her body desperately through violent, involuntary convulsions. The white of her eyes shifted into a putrid, foul bluish color that was a tell-tale sign of internal bleeding and trauma before she shut them tight as every flicker of light was torture.

Soon rivulets of crimson fell down the corner of her eyes and it took all her willpower not to claw at them with her hands and nails alike. Then her body started burning from within with impossible heat that searing through her nerves with unyielding ferocity. It didn't take long before she couldn't take it anymore and as the scent of burning flesh filtering her nostrils the screaming began as no human was able to fully withstand the forcible mutation her body was undergoing silently.

The sound was audible, half choked and resonated with the most the primal of sounds that grated upon their souls like nails against chalk, invoking the most basic and raw of sympathies and fears. Ibiki's face remained impassive but his eyes flickered with emotion and his heart wrenched in his chest. Anko seemed genuine enough but as expected, there was no way to read a snake, not now – not ever. "_Anko…what in Kami's name is happening to you?_

Hiruzen's eyes shut tightly, the whole spectacle wrenching at his aging heart._ "What have I done…? Is this truly the right decision? Or will the sins of the old once more plague the young...As it has always been the case for you, Anko-chan?" _he thought before shouting. "Drop the Barrier! Medics rush to the scene!" He commanded, pointing his hand at the suffering young woman, preparing to dispell the summoned beast if it would resist.

The ANBU nodded in unison just as woman's skin cracked and split open grotesquely as crimson flooded forth. Anko rolled her body from side to side, clawing at her skin desperately as she twitching madly, her choked sobs and screams growing weaker from lack of air and weariness of the mind and body.

The venom queen watched the ordeal the illegal summoner was undergoing passively and pulled away from her as the little mammals crowded around her and desperately tried to heal her wounded body, snorting at the sign of weakness and reliance on others. It went against the code of the serpent but she did not interfere, it would be a waste of time and effort. She eyed the other ningen with cool indifference, curling into her body and melted back through the veil between the worlds.

As the world faded slowly into nothing she recalled in her mind the day she met the girl's tormentor and former puppeteer – the day the 'Keitaro' was introduced to her clan.

**

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Origins of Madness – Act II:  
Violated Ignorance and Anointments made in Blood**

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(35 years before the beginning of the Naruto series – Training field 20, Outskirts of Konoha)**

"Full house!" Jiraiya laughed audibly as he flipped his cards around and tilted them from side to side victoriously. He grinned cheekily at Tsunade that tossed down her at her cards angrily before tossing them away in disgust. The silver haired teen was clad in white Yukata with flame swirls on the edges of his sleeves over a black, mesh-like armor and a pair of light gray hakama pants.

Though he was still undergoing puberty he was already taller than most of his peers at 5'10, his muscular form and handsome facial features lost their glee when he witnessed Tsunade's brown eyes darken and the tension pulse through her shoulders and chin.

His laugh turned somewhat nervous. "Whoa there! Don't kill me because I'm good! It's not my fault you suck at poker, Hime!" He couldn't quite call the now quite shapely young woman 'flat-chest' as he did years before - because it would be a lie considering Tsunade's now impressive bust that constantly tested the constraints of any of piece of conventional clothing set against it.

Nowadays it was a constant struggle not to look under her neckline and conserve his life as she was wearing her civilian garment. The thin green kimono hugging her body over a sweat soaked white undershirt and very short pants that reached just above her knees. All these combined were a deadly combination for his hormonal teenaged body, especially when she was angry; it made her eyes glow in a quite fiery manner.

Though he knew that whenever she got this angry pain and destruction would follow, so it wasn't an optimal situation for Jiraiya. _**"Che, look at her go! You better split, kid. I warned ya about hotheaded females with killer right hooks…Ma's like that!"**_ a gruff and deep tone commented on Tsunade's rapidly flushing face and shaking fist. Jiraiya shook his head and tried to signal his favorite toad summon, Gamabunta, to shut the hell up.

The blonde medic prodigy snorted and pointed at Jiraiya accusingly "It's all because of that overgrown toad of yours! I just know you two are cheating somehow! You weren't nearly as lucky before you summoned him!" her audible voice exploded through tightly pursed lips and she held back from slamming her fist down, as she didn't want to accidentally hurt her own familiar, the white snail Katsuya.

_**"Oi! Nobody calls Gamabunta a cheater! You take that back!"**_ The future toad boss mused in a low tone, crouching forward, his yellow eyes narrowed angrily. Jiraiya started panicking on his perch upon the bull sized toad's back and wondered who'd kill him first once this was over, Tsunade or Gamabunta.

_**"Gamabunta-kun, leave Tsunade-chan alone. It isn't her fault she is bad at gambling or has a short temper. Do not pick on her..." **_The gentle, sweet and tinkling voice of Katsuya interjected in a chiding manner. The affronted amphibian muttered something about crazy females and settled down, his webbed hand falling from its place on the hilt of his blade.

The wrath of Tsunade was abated by a massive whooshing sound accompanied by the sound of tearing trees. A series of light massive tremors rocked the training ground as tears were obviously knocked down from somewhere nearby and Jiraiya and Tsunade shared a meaningful look and then spoke in unison "Orochimaru…"The two thirds of team Hiruzen rushed over to the source on the backs of their summoned beasts, preparing for battle if needed.

They came upon the sight of their wayward teammate crouching and panting on his knees, barely holding the weight of his body on his hands. The two teens looked around and gaped slightly as the whole wood area around the snake jounin had been torn apart. The trees were uprooted, the ground torn apart as long laceration cut deep into the formally grassy soil and finally black, suffocating fumes rose high into the sky from the burned and charred husks of what used to be trees and plantlife.

"Yo, Oro-teme! How 'bout you take a break from time to time? You've been training for hours, c'mon and play a game or two with us!" Jiraiya invited jovially and kicked a stone idly while Gamabunta eyed the snake teen warily. His narrowed yellow eyes were full of suspicion and contempt as Fukusaku-sama had always told him to never trust a snake, human or summoned alike and he only did so begrudgingly because of Jiraiya.

All snakes were slithering, shifty characters that would devour you if it helped their goals and ambitions – they couldn't be trusted, not now; not ever. Orochimaru shakily rose to his feet and shifted his eerie slit eyes on the toad summon, impassively locking his gaze with the young toad until the massive creature couldn't help but look away from those horribly cold and lifeless orbs.

Orochimaru's lips twisted into a grim line as had not forgotten the rejection and humiliation the summoning clans of Konoha had put him through. Sarutobi had brought Orochimaru before them all, one by one - beckoning one of the summoning clans to accept him as their summoner. And one by one none of summoning clan would accept him; they all glared at him with cold, suspicious eyes and in varying forms of insult and contempt before they declared they would never bind with those who held the taint of the snake clan within their veins, not now – not ever.

And So Orochimaru was forced to watch how his two teammates thrived with the techniques of their summoning clans.

Jiraiya's contract to the toad clan had been granted to him in the completion of years of training he had received from their sages started as his childhood when he had stumbled upon their mountain by accident during his guard shift. The toads' Jutsu were useful and versatile and the conjunction of Jiraiya's earth and fire jutsu along with the toad clan's oil and water jutsu made Konoha's 'Wild man' quite a Jounin to contend with – not to mention his growing knowledge in his father's sealing arts.

Tsunade had learned the secrets of her family's summoning clan, the Senju clan having contracted the slug clan many decades ago. The slugs taught her the composition of many poisons, serums and acids and along with Tsunade's thirst and talent for all medical knowledge she branched and evolved beyond anything Konoha or any other country had ever seen before. Her innate genius in conjunction with the old arts forgotten by time made her the most accomplished and coveted medic and toxin brewer on the continent and her secret super strength made her taijutsu something feared by all foes alike.

One couldn't say Orochimaru's feats were something to laugh about. He was considered a prodigal ninjutsu and genjutsu user that already mastered and improved them in manners people three times his age had yet to accomplish. His ability to analyze and break down ninjutsu was so keen it was compared to the genius of Hiruzen in his youth. Also Orochimaru's modified taijutsu style, the bastardized and upgraded combination of the three of the ancient snake stances of the times of chaos was something most people took lifetimes to accomplish.

Orochimaru had named the new style the 'Sanseishuku Shibousha' and it made him a menace on the battlefield but especially deadly on the many solo missions he partook in behind enemy lines.

However, his own talent could not curb the bitter taste of the rejection and insults of the summoning world as well as his own village. He simply could not accept their harshness with the forgiveness and understanding his teammates and sensei asked him to, it went against his nature and pride as a person and a Shinobi.

The pain of their cold shoulder, the humiliation of their insults made his blood boil and it was a constant struggle to not lash out and crush those pathetic insects that tested his patience constantly.

Though many of his peers had grown to begrudgingly respect him, and most people feared him so much they dared not insult him outward - this was no consolation. Orochimaru would never be accepted by the village it seemed for anything more than a weapon of war, anything more than an infamous maestro of symphonies of blood and death.

If that's what the village wanted, that is what they would receive, Orochimaru did not, could not care of those pitiful bigots any longer. He had more pressing concerns, like tracking down and eliminating his parents' murderer and bringing her to justice while trying to maintain those last bonds of kinship he shared with Jiraiya, Tsunade and Hiruzen.

Even now they were gravitating away from one another. Hiruzen was Hokage and thus constantly busy with running the village and trying to read, intercept and otherwise safeguard Konohagakure in the unstable and bloody Shinobi world's political and military fields.

Tsunade was constantly away healing the wounded and dying and shared the abundance of her free time helping her young brother Nawaki. Jiraiya was the only one that seemed to stay by his side, they were as close as ever but Jiraiya had recently received an invitation to join ANBU and Orochimaru knew he would most likely accept it - their bonds would also slowly begin to wither away.

While he was brooding silently Tsunade leaped off Katsuya and rushed to his side with blurry speed, catching him just as his footing gave in. "Oro-kun, I told you to watch yourself. This is the umpteenth time you've nearly exhausted your chakra reserves. If you don't stop this you're going to get yourself killed!" Tsunade mused in an exasperated manner. She shut her eyes and gathered her chakra to her palms, green ethereal flames swirling around her hands as she gently pressed them against his body.

Orochimaru's pain and weariness eased down quickly and he stopped trembling. Some of the color returned to his face as he nodded idly, a small smile spreading over his usually stony face as he squeezed her wrist gently. "I know, I know...Fufu. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine…" he murmured softly.

Both of them knew from routine that it was an empty gesture on her part and hollow exclaim on his part. They had shared such words and gestures in various forms and occasions for the last three years after all, and so Tsunade's youthful face remained in its worried but resigned expression.

Ever since Orochimaru came home and found his parents dead he had changed. His eyes had lost what little light and emotion they once held; their already unsettling gleam augmented by the constant ice and apathy they reflected. He became increasingly obsessive with his attempts to study and master the art of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. Also there seemed to be a contained violence and dangerous air about him in every word, gesture and motion he took - something suppressed deep within the enigmatic youth just waiting to explode.

However, flickers of the old Orochimaru were still visible and available to Jiraiya and Tsunade and perhaps Sarutobi on occasion. They were the only people he reserved the right of glimpsing into his dwindling humanity; they were his remaining 'precious people' after all. Orochimaru had tried to distance himself from them at one point, but Tsunade and Jiraiya were more stubborn than an army of mules and they didn't let him sink into his funk, always being there for him, around him.

The three teens were closer than siblings, nearly symbiotic and shared a rather unique relationship with one another. To the world they seemed like a dysfunctional disaster waiting to happen, squabbling and arguing constantly. But whenever they were alone they shared a rare camaraderie and familiarity with one another that was both intimate and profound - a secret bond that kept them sane through the horrors they witnessed and wrought on a daily basis.

"I don't have time to play games at the moment; I've just mastered this new ninjutsu technique and I've already got plans on how to improve its capabilities. Besides, playing with you has lost its merits with how often you two cheat by using your summoned companions…" The snake teen mused with a smirk and watched Jiraiya's eyes widen and Tsunade's narrow murderously.

Katsuya sighed as Jiraiya barely dodged one of Tsunade's legendary demolition fists and patted his partner's rugged back. The toad obeyed the wordless command and leaped backwards with a mighty kick and in response Katsuya obeyed the way Tsunade twisted her ankle and pursued the escaping pair.

"You really shouldn't egg Tsunade like that, Orochimaru; you'll get Jiraiya killed…" The voice of his sensei called from across the clearing. The middle aged man was wearing his Hokage robes and hat as he walked over to his genius disciple, bowing his head in greeting as he removed his pipe from his mouth in order to speak.

"Sarutobi-sensei…? I thought you were buried under the paperwork for the nearest Chuunin exam." Orochimaru mused blandly and wordlessly greeted him in return as he brushed his dark hair out of his face. He had matured with puberty and his small and malnourished body had evolved into a wiry, athletic tool of death, every muscle tightly pushing against skin in a perfect balance between weight and height.

He had taken to wearing dark colors when off duty, always preferring black yukata and hakama pants with various violet decorations, arm guards or shin guards to accompany them.

The man they called 'The Professor' took a quick whiff from the tobacco leaves and sighed pleasantly, filling Orochimaru's nostrils with the powerful scent of nicotine and ash. "Even the Hokage needs a break sometimes. Speaking of breaks, when are you going to slow down, Orochimaru? You're burning yourself out…" the older man stated bluntly in a manner that was more of a demand than a question.

He watched his student's eyes narrow defensively, the skin around them tightening angrily. "I am fine, Hokage-sama. I know my limits and will not cross them." His voice was as cold as the emotionless gleam in his sharp yellow eyes; their unnatural shade having only grown fiercer and more accented than they were in his youth.

His skin was as always a sickly, chalky white. Along with his fearsome looking eyes and enlonged fangs his physical features only made fitting in within konoha more difficult for the teen.

The dismissal and shift to formal honorific were not lost to Hiruzen and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I have had enough of this nonsense, Orochimaru. Vengeance is not the path of the leaf; it will only consume you if you keep on obsessing over it. You must put your demons to rest and make peace with who you are, with your past. Only then will you be whole and a true ninja and man…" Sarutobi mused in an authoritative manner.

"Vengeance is not the path of the leaf, sensei?" The snake Jounin mused sarcastically and turned fully towards Sarutobi. "So you're telling me I imagined me, Jiraiya and Tsunade joining the strike force that spearheaded so deeply into Kumo that our ferocity put the fear of Kami in their civilians and ninjas alike? That I imagined how we cleaved a bloody path of retribution for how they ended up killing Nidaime-sama?" he asked demandingly.

"Do not get cheeky with me, Orochimaru" Hiruzen mused warningly and crossed his arms, his killer intent dwarfing his pupil's by far. "I understand you're upset and want to avenge your parents but you are killing yourself and alienating all of your peers. You're ruining your chances for acceptance and I refuse to let you do this to yourself..."

"Excuse my language, Sensei. But that's Bullshit," Orochimaru hissed out and chuckled in exasperation. "We both know besides Jiraiya and Tsunade that have grown to accept me due to our team placements, this village doesn't give a shit about me." He mused bluntly and turned his gaze away. "Even you, with your endless optimism should have noticed this unavoidable truth by now…" his voice lost its harshness and trembled with a weariness and acceptance that was a by product of years of verbal and emotional abuse.

Hiruzen shut his eyes briefly before they snapped open and burned with resolve and a commanding presence that made even Orochimaru listen. "Do not lost hope, my student. I know you find my words hard to believe, after all that's happened in the last three years. But you must know that my intentions for you as well as the village in whole are for the best. I care about you and I know what I'm talking about…" Hiruzen mused softly and Orochimaru sighed, the tension melting out of his body.

"Trust me. We **will** discuss this later and you **will** stop this self-destructive behavior of yours. I will help you find that acceptance you seek so much, Orochimaru. I promise" There was no place for argument in the man's words and the snake Jounin grit his teeth, shutting his eyes and looked away from his master's piercing eyes, his shoulders trembling once and fingers twitching lightly before he nodded once.

_"Your intentions and belief in human nature have always been foolishness, sensei. But you have done so much for me, so I will try to obey you. I just hope you won't be too disappointed when it fails, 'Hokage-Sama'…" _he smirked widely at how naïve the 'God of Ninja' could be at times, but that's probably what made him so lovable to all, even Orochimaru.

"I have a mission for you. You've been requested specifically for an S-Ranked by a woman named Kobaku Hitomi somewhere in the Grass Country…" the Hokage changed the subject and Orochimaru's eyes narrowed thoughtfully at that. The snake Jounin nodded his acquiesce to his sensei. He took a scroll from Sarutobi's hand and unfurled it, examining its contents quickly before a tremor of excitement ripped through him.

_"Interesting, very interesting…It seems things are moving according to plan and Sarutobi-sensei is none the wiser, excellent. Akahebi no Akako…soon, I will have my revenge…" _Orochimaru thought and his channeled his chakra through his fingertips, igniting the parchment while nodding to Sarutobi, leaving as he had packing to do and preparations to make.

**

* * *

(Three Days later, 'Kurogetsuei' Jungle, deep within the Grass Country)**

Orochimaru senses were peeled as he walked through the dense vegetation. All around him towering trees covered the skyline as lush, entangled branches, leaves and vines blocked out the sun's rays. Visibility was problematic as the only light able to filter through the living blockage was a pale and weak and the semi-darkness gave the jungle a most dangerous and ominous feel. The snake Jounin had been walking slowly for the better part of the last three hours. The sun was supposedly high in the sky if his calculations were correct, though it was not reflected by the poorly illuminated jungle.

Suddenly, he stopped his stride, licking his lips lightly, his taste buds tingling while inhaling through his nose. His glance shifted to behind his left shoulder, his unnaturally yellow eyes narrowing as his hand abruptly whipped out and tossed a shuriken in a seemingly random direction. _"Found you…"_

"Kukukuku! I did not think your senses would develop so quickly! You detected me immediately and even managed to draw first blood, how delightful! You truly are as prodigal as I expected…" a smooth, female voice hissed out in a chuckling, sultry manner pierced the silence once the thud of his shuriken embedding in wood ended.

He could feel her presence, the hairs on the back of his neck standing as the oppressive glare of a predator fell upon him. Then his eyes flicked towards a new source of illumination as he saw a pair of glowing violet cornea with golden irises burn within the darkness, inches beside where his projectile had lodged itself into the wood.

His lips twitched into a wide smirk as he turned his body towards his stalker. The woman stepped into the light and revealed she was quite an exquisite female specimen.

She was moderately tall at around 5'8, her body clad it an ebony Kimono that just barely clung to a very shapely and curvy female body and left little to imagination. Her skin was smooth and unmarred by the signs of her age though a long laceration bled on her left cheek from Orochimaru's earlier attack. Her complexion held a unique and quite intriguing shade that was golden bordering on bronze with almost artistically placed violet marking decorating it much like the marking on a king cobra. Her hair was a mane of dark violet, the long, spiky strands spilling between her shoulders and falling in the form of bangs over her slit eyes.

"Akahebi no Akako, you and I have unfinished business…" his voice slid out in a hard tone, his yellow eyes seemingly flashing with unholy light for a few moment, though it could've easily been a trick of the light.

For a moment of silence the two serpent ninja locked eyes, yellow and gold clashing angrily before Orochimaru's hands whipped backwards; reaching into his weapon pouches, fingers soothed by the touch of icy steel before he unleashed a hail of shuriken towards her.

"You have no idea …" the older woman mused in a sugary tone as she lazily dodged all the offending projectiles, her body swerving and moving with impossible grace and speed as she smirked in a feral manner. Her golden eyes widened hungrily as her lips parted to reveal pristine white teeth with elongated fangs, the woman quite impatient and eager to test out the boy's mettle in combat.

She leaped off the branch and landed with a silent thud before rushing towards Orochimaru. Her body projected her intent to strike from the right but she instead shot her left foot towards at the serpentine teen only to find him sliding beneath her strike neatly. Orochimaru's motion was fluid as liquid as he gracefully stepped forward and thrust two fingers towards her upper body.

_"He already knows the viper style?"_ Akako marveled as her hand shot sideways, deflecting his wrist before her fingers twisted and locked around his limb, pulling him forward. Orochimaru's free hand snaked forth in an identical motion and intercepted Akako's palm strike. He silently locked his fingers around her wrist as well and both struggled to budge one another. _"And is versed in Python style as well…wonderful…"_

The two stood at stalemate for only a moment before the woman smirked and her neck seemed to bulge slightly before she spat out a bubbling, dark green liquid into Orochimaru's face. Her eyes widened as the boy's body shimmered and dispersed unnaturally. _"Genjutsu, is it? Kukukuku…interesting…"_

"Pathetic…" his voice whispered in her ear as he snapped her neck cleanly with a most unsettling crunching sound filling his ears. He watched her lifeless corpse slip ungracefully at his ankles and sneered in disgust. He exhaled shakily, not knowing how to feel now that his deed was done, then something crossed through his mind and his eyes widened _"Crunching sound…?"_

The corpse at his feet shifted coloration and morphed into a paper-like substance of chalky white that disintegrated in the wind. "Snakeskin…" he muttered and shifted his gaze over his shoulder to lay eyes upon the promiscuously clad Akako leaning on a tree lazily with her arms crossed; smirking at him in amusement.

"To think that your innate snake instincts have already manifested at such a young age, you truly a remarkable specimen…" Akako mused in an oily and delighted tone, her eyes glimmering with an odd emotion, something the snake jounin had only seen in the eyes of his sensei and mother before - pride.

"What the hell are you talking about?" The leaf jounin hissed out quietly, his eyes flicking from side to side, seeking terrain that would give him tactical advantage and trying to draw out quick battle plans to fit the situation.

_"He really doesn't know, does he? Kukuku…you leaf bastards are pretty good at covering your tracks and hiding your sins…"_ The snake summoner thought with a hint of distaste before she lifted one finger and tilted her head at Orochimaru.

"One, your vision is sharper; you see farther and at times you catch flicks of odd color in the darkness." She lifted a second finger, "Your sense of smell is keener and you oddly find yourself swabbing your tongue every time you sniff to characterize the scents you pick up." She lifted a third finger, her grin widening even more. "And finally, you can sense vibrations in the air and ground around you which give you the advantage in all of your taijutsu battles, isn't that right?" Akako declared tauntingly.

_"How could she know that…? It's as if…"_ He thought, his eyes narrowing ever more with every one of her observations that were too accurate to be chance. A knot in his chest started tightening as the questions and suspicions that had plagued him ever since his mother's murder reignited. Her bloody, bloated corpse flashed before his eyes and his body tensed, his breathing picking up and blood boiling. _"It doesn't matter; she will die for what she did to mother…I will see to that."_

The violet haired woman grinned at him and swabbed her thumb across the crimson laceration on her left cheek. "Come then, Keitaro-kun. It looks like you've got some anger to work out. Let's play a little until you're in a more agreeable mood…" the woman called 'The Bloody Snake' beckoned and brought her hands together in a rapid seal sequence, _"Doton: Chikaryoushi no Hebi__**."**_

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed as she slapped her hands against the ground. He thoughtfully bit on his lower lip as the earth trembled beneath his feet. The snake prodigy quickly procured a pair of kunai, brandishing one blade in each of his hands before leaping upwards just as the ground exploded beneath his feet. Two massive, black scaled snakes erupted upwards, hissing angrily as they sought to entangle their target. Hiruzen's protégé twirled in midair and effortlessly wrapped wind chakra around the kunai in his left hand.

He slashed the elemental fueled weapon towards one of the snakes, a blade of wind extending forth several inches outwardly and sliced the massive serpent's head in two. He continued his spinning motion just in time to kick the other snake's nose. The serpent hissed angrily as it head reared backwards, its eyes narrowing upon the mammal that had glued its foot to the scaly surface of its snout.

The moment the snake genius' foot touched the summon's hide he let go of the kunai in his right hand and glued it to the sole of his right foot. He then pushed off the snake's head and sprung his body forth, somersaulting forward while drawing his wind encased weapon once more. He cut the offending summon's head open with bloody ease and indifference.

At the same time he shifted his body and extended his foot, kicking it forth and unleashing a chakra propelled kunai at Akako. The snake woman tilted her head sideways and avoided the projectile easily, it lodging itself in the tree behind. _"Impressive, but ultimately useless …"_ Akako observed and without missing a beat she already proceeded to run through a hand seal sequence. Just as her young prey landed lightly on the sole of his feet she unleashed her attack, _"Hebijutsu: Nenshousuppai."_

Orochimaru rolled to his left, avoiding a blob of dangerous looking violet substance. His ears picked up the sound of burning soil and stone and its acrid scent as he rose to his feet. _"That was close…but she wasn't aiming at me directly. Why is toying with me?"_ he wondered before brushing the thought aside, it was probably just his imagination.

He wove through a hand seal sequence of his own and inhaled deeply, his mind already devising a way to outwit the snake woman as he calculated all the parameters of the battle and terrain and smirked as he moved his first piece. _"Suiton: Kitsuimizu no Shuuha"_

Akako quirked a slender brow as Orochimaru heaved out a massive torrent of liquid from his mouth, aiming it at the ground. She observed silently how the water amassed and created a rushing wave that narrowed down on her at rapid velocities. The woman shook her head in exasperation and made eight hand seals Orochimaru had seen enough in his life to know what they meant.

The woman was propelled upwards as she summoned a snake familiar, willing it into the corporeal world with intent and chakra. She stood upon the head of a thirty foot tall green serpent, the torrent not even budging the massive beast_. _"Have you calmed down yet, Keitaro-kun? Or are you going to waste more of our time with your little tantrum?"

"Why do you keep on calling me Keitaro? My name is Orochimaru!" The snake jounin mused harshly, his killer intent spiking. He glared into her eyes challengingly and then snorted derisively. "Tantrum, is it? Call it what you will, but I will be the last one standing with you broken at my feet. That I promise you…" he stated simply.

The woman eyed him silently for a moment before she threw her head back and laughed audibly, her entire body trembling with amusement as she ran a hand through her hair. She then controlled herself just barely and shook her head at him, snickering as she barely managed to speak through her harsh pants. "K-Kill your mother? Hahahaha! I assure that's quite Impossible, Keitaro-kun…I AM your mother!"

Orochimaru's eyes flickered with dangerous emotion, heated fire burning in those horrible yellow eyes. "DON'T FUCK WITH ME, YOU CRAZY BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU" he screamed on the top his lungs as his mother's lifeless eyes glared at him from the intimate edges of his memory. To think this woman had the audacity to claim she was his mother was a sin against his real mother's memory. His hands ran through blurry fast hand seals, his chakra erupting violently around him as he unleashed his most powerful water technique. _"Suiton: Sanmizuchi no Inmetsu"_

Akako's eyes widened slightly as the water around her started swirling and bubbling dangerously. She tapped her foot on her summon's head gently and pointed her finger at Orochimaru the massive snake obeyed her silent command rushing forth at impressive speed. The snake Jounin's furious yellow eyes remained on target as he reached the final hand seal and thrust his chakra through the water with all his might, willing it to obey his intent. _"It's too late, you're mine!"_

Akako's serpent summon was intercepted by a massive water construct shaped like a dragon, the collision knocking her off its head and dispelled the creature's presence in a cloud of white smoke. Two new water dragons formed with rapid succession, the trio now roaring angrily as they narrowed in on their target.

Orochimaru's face twisted in concentration, his eyes following the 'Akahebi' while his hands remained locked within the rat seal. He controlled the jutsu to the best of his ability, aiming to crush the elusive snake woman with the sheer force behind his jutsu, unsuccessfully much to his chagrin. The woman's speed and grace were simply phenomenal as she dodged; glided and otherwise rushed upon the water's surface as if it were earth with infuriating ease.

"Keitaro-kun, you naughty boy! It seems I'm going to have to teach you to show your mother some respect!" Akako mused angrily. She threw both of her hands forward and golden eyes glowed in eerie gold with the ferocity of her chakra. "Senei ta Jashu!"

Orochimaru's eyes widened slightly as black snakes shot forth from beneath her kimono sleeves and slammed into him with crushing force. He flew backwards painfully and only barely registered how the serpents wrapped around his limbs. They drove him backwards and slammed him against a nearby tree with bruising might, the air forced out of his lungs and pain crackling through his spine.

Akako clicked her tongue chidingly as she walked over towards the ensnared teenaged Jounin. She shook her finger disapprovingly and when she was close enough she slammed her fist into his diaphragm with titanic force for good measure. Orochimaru's body sagging against the tree painfully before her golden eyes locked with his yellow eyes with deadly amusement.

"Look at you, the only male Hebishokkou ever born. The one the summoning world prophesied would one day be born, the 'Keitaro'," she cooed and examined his face with slight disdain. "Up until you our bloodline had only ever passed down with the X chromosome - so you can consider yourself a blessed mistake of nature, Keitaro-kun. Even if you are a quite hideous and ugly little bastard for it…"

Orochimaru spat in her face and her grip tightened on his cheeks, her nails biting in to his skin and drawing blood._ "No…I can't be one of them…she has to be lying. I wasn't just a tool. I'm a loyal and cherished ninja of the leaf. Tobirama-sama, Hiruzen-sensei…they wouldn't lie to me…they wouldn't use me like this…they wouldn't!"_ he thought with growing horror.

"Insolent gaki. Why do you deny the truth you know in your heart? That Konohagakure abducted you, raised you for bloodshed and death so you could become their weapon…?" She forced him to look into her eyes, every word accented by a hissing sound that rumbled deep from her throat.

"Didn't it occur to you that you hold no resemblance to those 'parents' of yours? Or that all the hatred you sustain is because they knew what you are, the scion of our cursed blood?" Akako continued and watched the tears gather in her child's eyes, his shaking chest showing the grief his disillusionment was causing him. _"Good…he's almost ready…"_

The snake Jounin tried to deny her words, he desperately sought an explanation that would prove she's lying but could find none. It all made sense, a morbid and sickening sense. All the mistrust his village showed him was because of this woman's reputation and accursed blood. She was the source of his isolation; his hardships and the fact his village pushed him harder than everyone else, gave him the bloodiest, most despicable missions that haunted his dreams; it was all **her** fault.

Somewhere in Orochimaru's mind something dark that had always lingered in his soul awoken, a bitter hatred he had quenched for so long manifesting and clutching his heart with unyielding strength. The knowledge of why he was hated gave him no comfort, only nauseating understanding of the petty, ugliness of man and the double standards the 'moral compass' of the ninja world truly held.

It also explained why Sarutobi had been so hesitant to let him seek out Akako for all this time; he probably feared Orochimaru would learn the ugly truth about his heritage and the sins committed against him by Konohagakure. But Orochimaru knew Hiruzen well, if he took part in this, it had to be under duress and so his hatred did not encompass his sensei as well.

"Konohagakure made a miscalculation. They abducted you, the failed specimen instead of your full blooded sister. Even if the Queen says you're the chosen one my eyes see you for what you are. Your blood is flawed and diluted and you're grotesque and probably unable to fully wield the snake blood in your veins due to that fact. I have no use for you as you are and that is why I never sought to retrieve you, until now." Akako explained and poked his nose playfully.

"The only use I have for you is for breeding you with my daughter. The mingling of your DNA will create powerful offspring that will revive our dying bloodline…" she revealed before kissing his cheek softly, smirking at his slight surprise as the tickling sensation of a snake tongue brushed his lips, a small violet serpent within her mouth brushing against his pale skin.

She smiled at him in a twisted form of affection that sickened Orochimaru to the pit of his stomach, the two small yellow eyes vanishing as she swallowed and then chuckled at his expression condesendingly. "By the way, Keitaro-kun…I didn't kill Futumo Hitomi or Futumo Daichi…" she mused softly and ran and through his hair soothingly."Even I could not infiltrate the great village of Konohagakure. Nor would I have done so only to waste my time on killing such pathetic garbage." She whispered warmly and leaned in closer.

Her lips brushed his ear as she nuzzled his temple, "However, I did slaughter that bitch's entire family nine years ago for being an accomplice in your abduction and brainwashing…" Akako admitted neutrally with a hint of a chuckle touching her tone. "But you should ask yourself…why did someone go to such lengths to pin their murder on me?"

Orochimaru's eyes widened, her second statement filtering in his mind for later as the implications of the first one stood paramount. His eyes narrowed as visions from the past danced through his eyes, his mother crying every time he inquired on his grandparents. The look of contempt and disgust she carried whenever he entered the room, no wonder – she blamed him for her family's death.

"You took mother's love away…" his voice whispered out softly. He chuckled at first and his eyes widened with wild emotion. His eyes danced with flickers of insanity, the embers of bloodlust burning deep within his slit pupils before he started laughing. It **WAS** his fault after all that she stopped loving him and grew to hate him. Orochimaru's chest tightened and his body trembled with raw emotion.

No! He couldn't let it end like this! He had to make it up to her; he had to make her understand somehow that he loved her and he wasn't to blame. He would earn her love again; he would gain her forgiveness and redemption. However, first he had to avenge her, yes – avenging her came first so he would begin with Akako and eventually learn who was to blame for her death, before he unleashed his wrath upon them as well.

With that thought in his mind those dangerous snake eyes flicked behind her. It was time to put into motion the second and third steps of his intricate plan to kill Akako. His chakra spiked and weaved rapidly to his will, him invoking a technique without seals, having mastered its chakra control requirements and patterns long ago.

He had waited for the arrogant woman to spill her heart before him, seeking the invaluable information only she would reveal to him without care or caution. Though he had to admit that the truth was more than he could swallow and process all at once, it magnitude impossible to bear, but he would have time to grieve and scheme on a later date.

Now that he had learned all that he needed, she was of no more use to him and so her life would come to an end. "You're not my mother…I had only one mother…and you killed her…" he declared in an icy tone, full of indifference that didn't fit his earlier disposition at all _"Impossible!? Was he acting all along, waiting and plotting…but what?"_

Akako's eyes widened as she felt a chakra signature behind her, though it was far too late. She grunted in pain as a whistling sound filtered through her ears and she shifted sideways. She saved herself from certain death but pain exploded in the left side of her chest despite her better efforts. She looked down and saw a Kunai sticking out of her body and noticed splinters were still sticking to its crimson stained tip; tantalizing her and she coughed blood. She looked behind her shoulder and saw a clone of the snake sannin melt into water. _"Water Clone? That kunai from before...how many steps did he plan ahead…?"_

Before she could grasp the situation full, pain exploded in her neck and her eyes widened as she felt how his teeth tore into her shoulder, cutting deep into her flesh and drawling blood. Her eyes flicked downward and she watched Orochimaru's tongue swab over the crimson liquid, leaving trails of burning pain coursing through her blood as fire ignited through her veins. _"What…what is this? I can't…I can't be poisoned…I'm one of the snake clan!"_

Orochimaru's lips twisted into a maniacal grin as his eyes flickered with murderous darkness and homicidal delight. His mouth opened to reveal a small blue pill that was broken on his tongue. "You thought you had me wrapped around your little finger, didn't you? But all along I waited for you to drop your guard…and you played your part in my plan…perfectly" he taunted coldly.

Her snakes dispersed as she started coughing, stumbling back. She clutched her throat and wounded shoulder and gasped for air, shock still paralyzing her. "What…? how…?" she hissed out in a hoarse and trembling tone as her body was engulfed by spasms and involuntary convulsions. She coughed blood over and over, her face, lips and clothes now soaked in sickly hot crimson.

"Tsunade-chan, my lovable teammate is the master of toxicology and medical ninjutsu. I simply procured some of your DNA from one of your many victims. It took some persuasion but she cared enough about me to help me despite her apprehension. Together, Fufu and I synthesized a personalized poison that works only on you, Akako…" Orochimaru mused and walked over to her quickly and with little grace unleashed his fury in form of a bone-crunching his fist to her cheek.

Akako lost her footing and crashed to the ground heavily. "I've got another surprise for you, bitch." His voice hissed out as he angrily kicked her in the ribs with crushing force, sending her rolling aside several times. "When I hired myself with a fake alias of Kobaku Hitomi, I falsified a request to locate a mass murderer in your hometown. I suppose you've already guessed who I targeted and eliminated..."

He knelt down beside him and grasped her hair, chuckling as he slammed her face into the dirt, humiliating her to dirt. "I'm afraid I won't be breeding anyone. It is true the leaf and Hiruzen-sensei would not approve what I've done, but that doesn't matter right now as they'll never know the truth." He exclaimed with bone-chilling indifference that bordered on the sociopathic side.

"I've waited for three years to exact my revenge on you. You took my mother away from me, whether by your own hands or your murderous actions against my mother's family. Now...drown in the helplessness, the despair and unending woe of my loss, my pain!" He whispered in a somewhat hypnotic manner before her stood up and kicked her face for good measure once last time before turning around and inhaling deeply several times in order to regain his cool.

The snake summoner coughed blood, spitting out a tooth as she convulsed and choked, she was getting weaker – no, she was dying. The venom was corroding her body, even now her muscles ached and every motion was undulated pain, but she would take this upstart bastard with her if it was the last thing she did. Her precious daughter's blood would not cry silently from the bowels of the earth unavenged.

Her hands trembled as she slid her blood stained hand over a tattoo on her left forearm and slid her hands through the seal sequence required for the summoning technique. "You fucking bastard…I'LL KILL YOU!" she screamed and gathered all her chakra at once, heaving it all just as she slapped both of her blood stained palms against the ground.

_**"Akako! You better have a good reason for summoning me…!" **_A voice hissed out impatiently and the snake jounin looked upwards at the largest serpent he had ever seen. His yellow eyes widened a fraction and his mind raced with possible battle plans, contingency escape routes as he cautiously stepped back from the titanic summoned beast.

The massive golden cobra tilted her head, examining him silently for a moment or so and then looked upwards at her broken, bleeding summoner. If a snake could frown, the venom queen's façade would be just that. Her predatory eyes shifted from the dying woman to the weakened and exhausted snake jounin below once more and her massive body shifted, slowly curling around him, cutting off escape routes as she sized him up. _**"Gaki…Did you do this? To MY summoner?"**_

_"This is bad…I got cocky and let my guard down and she somehow pulled this monster out. I only have one soldier pill and I'm low on chakra. I'm not sure that even at my full power I could contend with this boss summon from the power it projects and its ageless eyes…"_ The jounin glared into those eerie serpentine eyes fearlessly despite his inner narrative; even if all was lost he would go down fighting.

Orochimaru felt no fear; he had lost that paralyzing, suffocating emotion on the day his mother's lifeless body was revealed before his virgin eyes. His ambitions, his goals would not be quenched; if all was lost he would resort to one of those forbidden jutsu Hiruzen forbade him to use under any circumstances.

"Heika…This boy killed my successor…your future summoner and I. You must kill him! The snake clan's honor demands it…" Akako coughed out, her vision blurring as her eyelids fluttered, nearly shutting. Her breathing became difficult and the world shifted into a nauseating vertigo, but still she clung on, wanting to see her queen crush the treacherous fruit of her womb.

_**"So the prophecy was right…The Keitaro has finally manifested in this world. Interesting times have begun…the paths of fate now grow blurred and all options are open before us…"**_Akako pondered and her decision was easily made, the path of the serpent made her choice easy.

_**Akako, you know there can only be one. Keitaro has been chosen by tradition and prophecy and YOU, you have shamed me with your defeat!"**_ The venom queen mused and with indifference flicked her head upwards, tossing her former summoner into the air. The woman's shock and fear were but momentary before they were silenced as the massive maws of the queen cobra opened and swallowed her whole.

_**"Congratulations, you've just passed the rite of succession, Keitaro. Welcome to the Snake clan, now pledge your fidelity to me and sign the contract. Become MY summoner and let us revive the legacy of the serpent!" **_The serpent queen commanded and unfurled her tongue, revealing an ancient looking summoning scroll. Orochimaru bowed his head and inwardly smirked as he obeyed her command, writing down his name in blood upon the ancient parchment.

The massive summoned bowed her head and told him to summon her again soon so they could begin his lessons in the secret arts of the snake clan. When her life force vanished back to the summoning world Orochimaru allowed himself to sag to his knees tiredly, but not without a measure of satisfaction._" At last, now I have a contract to my name; Hiruzen-sensei will be pleased. And if he isn't, that's just too bad. I don't think this 'Venom Queen' will take kindly to breaking the contract…kukukuku…"_

Orochimaru had finally learned the truth of his heritage. Hiruzen-sensei always told him to accept who he was, what he was - so be it. Akako's claims were irrevocable, he was the last of the Hebishokkou's accursed lineage of snake summoning and so he would follow their path. But Orochimaru never did anything half-assed, he would not just be a summoner – he would become the king of all summoners, the most powerful snake charmer to ever walk the continent!

Hiruzen warned him that vengeance only brought upon madness, grief and more vengeance – he was right. But no price was too high to pay to discover the perpetrators of his mother's death, no sacrifice was too great to seek her forgiveness and have her smile at him – one last time – no price…

And with the horrible knowledge Akako supplied him and the newfound powers the venom queen would grant him he would pave his path of vengeance. He would research, salvage and steal any knowledge, be it sanctioned or forbidden that was required to realize his ambitions, to see her one last time. He would make his real mother, even if they shared no blood relation, proud even if it killed him.

That he vowed to himself upon the blood stained battlefield in which his ignorance was raped by the violating truth woven by his biological mother's poisonous tongue.

His eyes caught something fluttering in the wind and his hand shot out and clasped around a stray, crimson stained piece of Akako's snakeskin. His face twisted into a wide, haunting grin as he crushed it between his fingers tightly to symbolize the death of his past and the beginning of a new path.

He then chuckled softly as the wind played with his hair. His head rose to glare upwards towards the heavens and his laughter grew audible, piercing the silent jungle with its rolling, powerful quality.

Destiny shifted on its axis to accommodate the true birth of the snake clan's 'Keitaro' – though if he was blessed or damned was something only time would tell.

**

* * *

Jutsu List: **

**Kinjutsu: Aigoukabe no Munashii – Forbidden Technique: Wailing Wall of the Void** – An ancient sealing technique that creates a spiritual barrier of life force mixed with chakra that repels creatures from Makai (Demon realm), Yomi or the summoning world. A brief touch will cause any monster or creature intense pain, the larger the barrier or stronger the creature, the more people required to maintain.**  
Suiton: Sanmizuchi no Inmetsu – Water Release: Destruction of the Three Mizuchi – **High level Water technique that creates three water dragons in the visage of the dangerous water dragon Mizuchi to rain destruction upon their target.**  
Senei ta Jashu – Multiple Hidden Shadow Snake hands – **A specialized summoning ninjutsu that manifests a torrent of snakes which erupt from the sleeve. The ninja can extend these snakes to attack a target. Once extended the snakes can wrap around and bite into the target to hold and bind them.**  
Suiton: Kitsuimizu no Bakuha – Water Release: Intense Water Wave – **Mid level Water technique that fires off a massive torrent of water at an opponent. It's main use is a platform for future water techniques.**  
Hebijutsu: Nenshousuppai – Snake Arts: Burning Acid – **Those whom wield the snake blood are able to use their chakra to convert their saliva into a very powerful acid that can eat through rock and steel if the user is powerful enough.**  
Doton: Chikaryoushi no Hebi – Earth Release: Underground Hunter Snake – **A summoning and earth element combination that unleashed a group of large serpent summoned that burrow underground and attempt to ensnare and poison their target.


End file.
